Accurately measuring giant waves – for effective tsunami protection

Winterthur, August 2019 – Japanese fishermen on the high seas noticed nothing unusual. Everything was calm, conditions at sea were normal. But a shock awaited them when they ran into port: almost nothing was left standing – a gigantic wave had slammed into buildings and boats, sweeping animals and people away with devastating force. This phenomenon is known as a tsunami, which means “harbor wave” in Japanese. Force sensors from Kistler have played a key part in tsunami research.

Effective design of defensive structures depends on knowing what forces tsunami waves produce when they impact on structures – but until now, almost no research has been undertaken on this subject. Coastal protection agencies clearly need to base the construction of future installations on guaranteed data. To meet this requirement, HR Wallingford – an independent British hydraulic research association – joined forces with Dr David McGovern, a Lecturer at London South Bank University and former Research Associate at University College London. The English town of Wallingford is home to one of Europe’s largest wave-current flumes, the Fast Flow Facility, and is the only location in the world where tsunamis can be simulated. The present tests were undertaken at a scale of 1:50. The Fast Flow Facility measures 70 x 4 meters. The extremely complex forces that give rise to tsunamis can only be understood by examining how they develop in three-dimensional space.

Faced with this challenge, Dr McGovern approached Kistler, the Swiss expert on sensor technology, for help with realistic visualization of the forces that act as the wave builds up. Kistler, the market leader for piezoelectric measurement, works with sensors that include specially grown quartz crystals. The crystal converts forces generated by waves and moving masses of water into electrical charges – and this makes it possible to measure the forces. The special feature in this case: the sensors used for tsunami research can measure forces in all three dimensions.

Thanks to this technology, the research team was able to obtain precise measurements of the entire build-up of the wave in space and over time. The team was also able to confirm that data for the simulated waves matched the data for real tsunamis, so they could be sure that their research results were meaningful and reliable. The data now provides a sound basis for future coastal defense construction projects, because researchers finally have a reliable method to simulate and calculate the effects of tsunami on different structural shapes. With support from the Swiss measurement technology experts, the British team has played an important part in ensuring that future defensive measures will help save lives when a tsunami strikes.

At Fakuma 2018, the Kistler Group is showcasing its latest monitoring and control packages for ComoNeo, its high-quality process monitoring system that is designed to deliver efficiency and transparency for injection molding.

The Kistler Group is adding another variant to what is already the world's most comprehensive portfolio of wheel force measurement systems: the new RoaDyn S6GT 6-component wheel force measurement system.

The Kistler Group is introducing a compact mobile measurement solution for enhanced rolling stock maintenance in international railway operations in the shape of its railway brake force measuring system Type 2899A.

Competent service just a call away has always been a key aspect of Kistler's cooperation with its customers. Now, in a move to address growing demand in North Germany, the measurement technology experts are opening a new office in Wolfsburg.

At NPE 2018, the Kistler Group is showcasing its latest custom monitoring package for ComoNeo, its high-quality process monitoring system that is designed to deliver efficiency and transparency for injection molding.

At Automatica 2018, the Kistler Group will turn the spotlight on diverse options for using sensors and process monitoring systems to support industrial production and enhance digitalization in test and assembly technology.

At Intertraffic 2018 the Kistler Group is showcasing its comprehensive KiTraffic Weigh In Motion (WIM) solutions, which support road owners and authorities in road and traffic monitoring, weight enforcement and weight-based tolling.

At NPE 2018 in Orlando, Florida, the Kistler Group will demonstrate a wide range of modular functionalities for ComoNeo: the process monitoring system that takes injection molding to a higher level with integrated quality monitoring geared to meet customers’ needs and requirements.

The new KiSprint provides coaches and athletes with an efficient means of biomechanically optimizing sprint starts under competitive conditions. The robust and mobile solution has comprehensive software assessment options and can be individually adapted and expanded.

The Kistler Group reported incoming orders worth CHF 233.3 million at the end of August 2016 and has therefore seen growth of 8.4 % compared to the same period in the previous year, or 5.6 % when adjusted for currency effects.